First off, I would like to apologize for not getting this up until Tuesday. Too much of a combination of work, Easter beer, winning $50 in a poker game (where $60 total was paid and the other $10 was mine), and breaking beds kept me plenty distracted on this holiday weekend. I will try to do better next week.

Manager of the week: Krueg

Team of the week: Happy At Hooters
Surprise of the week: Happy At Hooters
Player of the week: Albert Pujols
Pitcher of the week: Chris Ray

MATCH-UP #1: MHD VS. PATE

The long awaited rematch of last year’s championship did not disappoint. Pate jumped out to an early lead and was able to hold MHD off in a match-up that came down to the last few games of the week. This may be becoming the MML’s version of the Yanks and BoSox.
Result: Pate wins 5-4

MATCH-UP #2: STRODE VS. KRUEG

After some early week worries (and by early, I mean Tuesday morning), Krueg rebounded from a devastating loss and beat the crap out of Strode. Strode put up a solid week across the board as well, but Krueg seemed to always be one step ahead.
Result: Krueg wins 7-1

MATCH-UP #3: ANDY VS. TIM

After a promising first week, Andy put Tim back in his place with a decisive win. Neither team had a spectacular showing, but Andy’s week was plenty to carry him on to a week 2 victory.
Result: Andy wins 7-2

MATCH-UP #4: LUKE VS. GIBBY

Thanks to POW Albert Pujols, Gibby was able to fend off Luke. A classic match-up of pitching vs. hitting almost ended in a direct split of one team getting all the offensive stats, and the other getting all the pitching stats. Gibby’s off to a good start, and as long as Pujols stays on pace to hit over 100 HR’s this season, he should remain a contender all season long.
Result: Gibby wins 6-4

MATCH-UP #5: JIMMY VS. PAUL

Another tight match-up proved that pitching can win. Jimmy’s dominant staff carried him to victory in this match-up, despite recording 0 saves. Oh, how far Paul has dropped since his glory days. My question is, who will win a championship first? The Cubs… or Paul.
Result: Jimmy 6-4

MATCH-UP #6: DICKMAN VS. DUKE

Duke did just enough to squeak out another win and remain among the top teams in the league. Although beating Dickman hasn’t been impressive since he somehow made it to the championship a couple years ago, a win is a win, and Duke is proving he can put up the offensive stats to compete with anyone and some solid ERA’s and WHIP.
Result: Duke wins 5-4

MATCH-UP #7: PEDRO VS. LACKEY

These two better get used to seeing their names next to each other because if they keep this up, they’ll have the first two picks in next year’s draft. The good news is that at least when it’s Pedro’s turn to pick we’ll be waiting 5 hours for 2 picks rather than having to wait that long for each individual pick from the lovable trombonist.
Resulg: Lackey wins 6-4

MATCH-UP #8: MANTIS VS. PHIL

Well, if you look at Phil’s ERA of 6.66, I think it’s a good indication that the Cubs will not win the World Series again, and that Phil will not win an MML championship again. Mantis put together a stellar pitching performance for the week, but if he doesn’t get some offense together soon, he’ll be sitting in the middle of the pack at best… again.
Resulg: Mantis wins 6-3

A rematch of last year’s championship looks to be the premier match-up of the week… if not the year. Other teams in both leagues should be looking at this match-up to see who their main competition this season. You should expect to see a lot of movement on the transaction wire from these two teams this week, and you may want to keep a close eye on players becoming available who should be hot waiver picks as both of these teams will do whatever they have to to win this match-up. I can’t even begin to make a decent prediction on this match-up so we’ll have to call it a wash.
Prediction: Tie 5-5

MATCH-UP #2: STRODE VS. KRUEG

This one should be a tight match-up, and maybe there should be a little rivalry started with the two Tulsa members in the league. Maybe the “Oral Roberts is my gay lover” rivalry… Krueg may have the stronger pitching staff, but most of his pitchers will have to wait and see what happens the first few days. Strode’s got an offense that’s tough to keep up with at time, but it can also fall asleep. I could see either team winning 9-1 and I could also see a 5-5 tie going into the last day. This one’s just too hard to call, but Krueg showed his dedication in week one to making the moves necessary to get as many points as possible. Because of this, I have to give him a slight edge.
Prediction: Krueg wins 5-4

MATCH-UP #3: TIMDAWG VS. ANDJOB

This should be a fun match-up as well. Andjob has one of the perennial powerhouses in the MML and Timdawg is coming off a week in week in which he would’ve beaten just about anybody. The wildcard is going to be what their pitching staffs can do because we all know the offenses in this battle are going to be intense. This may be Tim’s year, and Andjob’s team is not as good this year as it was the last two years, so Timdawg gets the slight edge in this match-up.
Prediction: Timdawg wins 6-4

MATCH-UP #4: GIBBY VS. LUKE

It’s no secret in the MML that Luke usually sucks. Gibby always sucks too, but he’s got the better team and he at least makes some form of the playoffs every year. Gibby’s also got the more dominant pitching staff and since neither have much in the way of closers, I can’t give Luke an edge there. This one probably won’t be very close, but we can all aplaud Luke for trying every year.
Prediction: Gibby wins 7-2

MATCH-UP #5: PAUL VS. JIMMY

Whatever happened to Paul? He used to dominate this league, and then he got engaged and married and fell faster than Andy’s cast in a rain storm. Jimmy brings in the most improved team in the league and is riding a strong Week 1. Paul might find some magic dust on his sister’s cooch and once again rise to the top, but until then, he’s probably one of the only teams that will have trouble staying ahead of Duke and Lackey.
Prediction: Jimmy wins 6-3

MATCH-UP #6: DUKE VS. DICKMAN

A match-up of the two luckiest fuckers in the league. Both teams had a very good start in week one, and both should probably expect some sort of slump in week two. Both teams are pretty crappy, but obviously capable of putting up good performances. This will be an interesting battle to watch for those of you who like to watch two snails in a boxing match.
Prediction: Duke wins 5-4

MATCH-UP #7: PEDRO VS. LACKEY

Pedro’s pitching staff is crippled for another week or two. Lackey’s team is crippled because it sucks real bad. Regardless, this will be a match-up you probably won’t bother to click on in the stat-tracker. Pedro put up a strong stand against Pate on the last day of week 1. Because of this miracle, I have to say that Pedro’s got the edge in this one, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Prediction: Pedro wins 6-4

MATCH-UP #8: MANTIS VS. PHIL

Phil always finds a way to win. Mantis utilized a solid draft strategy to improve his team. This is a hard call, and a lot depends on how much attention Phil pays to his team. On paper, Mantis has the edge. But Phil hasn’t finished in the top three the last two years just because he has a thing for married chicks. Mantis’ big advantage here is that he’s catching Phil before Phil really gets into it, so he should pull out the victory.
Prediction: Mantis wins 6-3